Letters: Phillip Whitehead

Karen Blick writes: Phillip Whitehead (obituary January 2 ) was the most stalwart parliamentary supporter of the cause of the Polish union, Solidarnosc, which in its early days was not universally supported by the labour movement. But Phillip, then an MP, spoke up for the union as a cause that all democratic socialists should espouse.

When martial law was declared in Poland on December 13 1981, he went with his children, on a bitterly cold day, to a protest outside the Polish embassy and co-promoted a 14,000-strong rally in Hyde Park a week later. From 1981 to 1989, Phillip continued to protest against the ban on Solidarnosc and the persecution of its members. During the 25th anniversary of Solidarnosc's formation, Phillip was presented with a medal by Lech Walesa.

Geoffrey Batten writes: My father was a life-long Spurs supporter and I often went with him to home games in the early 1950s and so saw Arthur Rowe's wonderful "push and run" team in full flower. I can confirm the understanding between Alf Ditchburn (obituary December 30) and Alf Ramsey and still remember their stentorian shouts of "Right Alf" and "Right Ted" which always amused my father.

Ted Graham and Glenys Thornton write: When John Tilley (obituary, December 23) was not re-elected to parliament in 1983, it was the Co-operative movement's gain. In 1988, he became parliamentary secretary to the Co-operative Union. Thanks to him and his Co-operative protegé (now Dame) Pauline Green, we have the (amended) European Union Food Additives Directive 1994. Representing the Co-op in the British Retail Consortium, he brought the movement's ethical and consumer values to bear on retailing issues.

John was acutely aware of the Co-operative movement's strengths and weaknesses. He was a committed moderniser, always looking for the best, sometimes the most radical, solution that such a venerable institution could bear - often with great success.